Over two years of pandemic mobility restrictions forced a seismic shift to online transactions – from education to medical consultations, commercial activities and, inevitably, criminal operations. Among the new rackets that received a boost from going online are illegal recruitment and other forms of job scams.
Cracking down on online illegal recruitment is a priority of the newly created Department of Migrant Workers. DMW Secretary Susan Ople said in just one day, an online illegal recruiter can victimize 500 aspiring overseas Filipino workers. Some victims may actually be deployed overseas, but find themselves in jobs that they did not apply for, or in circumstances that are different from what was promised. Several aspiring OFWs end up as victims of sex trafficking rings.
Others end up with no jobs at all, with their recruitment fees disappearing into scam accounts; e-payment has facilitated swindling. Such fees may constitute the life savings of the prospective OFWs or their parents. Or the aspiring workers could have borrowed heavily to come up with the fees.
The initiative of the DMW, which is still waiting for its own funding allocation under the national budget, must be complemented by an intensified crackdown on online illegal recruiters and job scammers preying on everyone apart from OFWs.
Many people know enough to ignore text messages or alerts on social media offering jobs. Telecommunications, IT and social media companies have warned that if something seems too good to be true, it’s likely fake or a scam. Telcos have been blocking mobile numbers found to be engaged in spreading scam text messages.
Because of current economic hardships, however, there are still people who find the attractive salaries and benefits touted by online scammers to be irresistible. And there are people who will need intensified protection from those who exploit the fervent hopes of Filipinos for decent employment overseas.